Readings and Signings

125 Water St., Exeter. Water Street, 778-9731; Time of Wonder, 778-6027:

Tuesday, Sept. 1 at 7 p.m.: Charles P. Pierce, author of "Idiot America: How Stupidity Became a Virtue in the Land of the Free," will visit. Pierce is a staff writer at the Boston Globe. He is also a contributing writer for Esquire, and a frequent guest on National Public Radio's "Only a Game" and "Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me." Wednesday, Sept. 9 at 6:30 p.m.: Featured poets for September's Open Mic Poetry Night are Jim Rioux and Mark DeCarteret. DeCarteret is the Portsmouth, N.H. poet laureate and has published several chapbooks. Rioux recieved an MFA in poetry from Georgia State University, where he was awarded the Gerard Manly Hopkins Prize for graduate creative writing. Thursday, Sept. 10 at 6:30 p.m.: Children's Book Night with publishing representatives from Simon & Schuster, Random House, and Scholastic. Event will showcase new books for the fall and holiday season, as well as great older books. The reps will be discussing titles in every reading level and genre. This event is designed for librarians, teachers, program directors, and home school group coordinators. Parents are welcome too. RSVP to waterstreet.books@myfairpoint.net. Saturday, Sept. 12 at 7 p.m.: James Landis will be on hand for the launch of his latest book, "The Last Day," a novel about the last day of U.S. Army Sniper Warren Harlan Pease, which he spends traveling around the New Hampshire Seacoast with Jesus. Not your typical religious allegory, "The Last Day," is a challenging look at the U.S. war in Iraq, traditional religion, and how we live here on Earth each day. Tuesday, Sept. 22 at 7 p.m.: Ethan Gilsdorf, author of "Fantasy Freaks and Gaming Geeks: An Epic Quest for Reality Among Role Players, Online Gamers, and Other Dwellers of Imaginary Realms," will visit. A self-proclaimed Dungeons and Dragons obsessive, Gilsdorf grew up in Seacoast New Hampshire and is now a journalist. This book is part memoir, part travelogue, and part pop culture analysis.

20 Congress St., Portsmouth, 431-2100, www.riverrunbookstore.com:

Monday, Aug. 31 at 7 p.m.: Local Authors Night at RiverRun. Local authors are invited to mingle over wine and cheese with other authors and readers, and bring copies of their books. This event will be at RiverRun Bookstore, 20 Congress St., in downtown Portsmouth. For information on the event, visit www.riverrunbookstore.com or call (603) 431-2100. For questions about the event, e-mail riverrunevents@gmail.com. Wednesday, Sept. 2 at 7 p.m.: Ethan Gilsdorf, an author with local roots, reads from "Fantasy Freaks and Gaming Geeks." Event includes trivia contest with prizes; prizes for anyone arriving in costume as his or her favorite fantasy character or creature (elf, orc, warrior, wizard, Harry Potter, etc); a reading, Q&A and book signing; and a reception with snacks and beverages. Writer Ethan Gilsdorf grew up in Lee and went to Oyster River High School. Thursday, Sept. 3 at 7 p.m.: A special event with Blue Tree, the local artistic publishing company. Featured authors include Thomas and Mariah Roberts, authors of "Artisan Breads, Pastries, Cookies and Desserts," famous chef James Haller; Carla Snow, author of "Wine & Dine with New Hampshire"; Jeffrey Paige, author of "Cotton: The Cookbook"; Grant Hacking ("Visions in Granite, vol. II"); Carl Austin Hyatt, "Carl Austin Hyatt Photography"; and, Brian Smestad, photographer of numerous books and chief executive officer of Blue Tree. Tuesday, Sept. 8 at 7 p.m.: Pen Central Writing Workshops open house from 7 p.m. to 8 p.m. Come meet Pen Central fiction, memoir, and poetry instructors, and browse their selections of best craft and prompt books. Jody Hetherington, Rebecca Dawson Webb, and Kimberly Green will discuss their workshops and answer questions about Pen Central. Monday, Sept. 14 at 7 p.m.: An evening of literary fiction with three writers. Samuel Ligon, Blake Butler, and Robert Lopez will read from their latest books. Samuel Ligon is the author of "Drift and Swerve," a collection of stories (2009), and "Safe in Heaven Dead," a novel (HarperCollins.) Blake Butler's novella, "Ever," is out now from Calamari Press, and his full-length debut, "Scorch Atlas," will be out in September from Featherproof Books. Robert Lopez is the author of "Part of the World," a novel. A new novel, "Kamby Bolongo Mean River," is forthcoming from Dzanc Books in September. Tuesday, Sept. 15 at 7 p.m.: James Wood, staff writer at The New Yorker, gives a talk and reading on his latest book, "How Fiction Works." In the tradition of E. M. Forster's "Aspects of the Novel" and Milan Kundera's "The Art of the Novel," "How Fiction Works" is a study of the magic of fiction — an analysis of its main elements and a celebration of its lasting power. Monday, Sept. 21 at 7 p.m.: Scrabble Night at SecondRun Bookstore. Bring a board, a friend, or just yourself and test your Scrabble skills. Monday, Sept. 21 at 7 p.m.: Nicholas Thompson reads from his nonfiction book "The Hawk and the Dove: Paul Nitze, George Kennan, and the History of the Cold War." Thompson is the grandson of Paul Nitze and he had exclusive access to troves of never before published matieral. The book addresses the 60-year friendship/rivalry of Nitze and Kennan and how the two shaped American foreign policy during the Cold War. Tuesday, Sept. 22 at 7 p.m.: RiverRun Bookstore and Pax World Mutual Funds present author, Senior Distinguished Fellow at the progressive think tank Demos, and former ambassador to the UN Commission on the Status of Women in the Clinton Administration Linda Tarr-Whelan. She will be giving a talk on her new book, "Women Lead The Way: Your Guide To Stepping Up to Leadership and Changing the World." Wednesday, Sept. 23 at 7 p.m.: Sherrie Flick reads from her debut novel, "Reconsidering Happiness." In a story of lust and longing, love and loneliness, disappointment and desire stretching from the East Coast to the West, two pioneering women navigate through secrets, lies, decisions, and compromises shared over pool tables, postcards, and shots of whiskey. Flick is the author of the award-winning flash fiction chapbook "I Call This Flirting." Thursday, Sept. 24 at 7 p.m.: Nicholson Baker reads from his latest novel, "The Anthologist" (a book that mentions RiverRun Bookstore). "The Anthologist" is narrated by Paul Chowder — a once-in-a-while-published kind of poet who is writing the introduction to a new anthology of poetry. He's having a hard time getting started because his career is floundering, his girlfriend Roz has recently left him, and he is thinking about the great poets throughout history who have suffered far worse and deserve to feel sorry for themselves. He has also promised to reveal many wonderful secrets and tips and tricks about poetry, and it looks like the introduction will be a little longer than he'd thought. Baker was born in 1957 and attended the Eastman School of Music and Haverford College. He is the author of seven novels, including "Vox" and "The Mezzanine," and three previous works of nonfiction, including "Double Fold," which won a National Book Critics Circle Award in 2001. He lives in Maine with his family. Tuesday, Sept. 29 at 7 p.m.: Joyce Maynard reads from her new novel, "Labor Day." This book is the IndieNext pick for August from independent bookstores around the country. From the New York Times bestselling memoirist and novelist comes an unforgettable story of a 13-year-old boy and his mother whose live are forever changed during a long weekend when a mysterious man comes into their lives. The novel is set in New Hampshire.

Crossings at Fox Run, Newington, 422-7733:

Barnes & Noble storytimes are held seven days a week. A toddler storytime is on Thursdays at 11 a.m. with board books, puppets, songs and more. The remaining storytimes are for all ages and include two stories, a craft and are held at 11 a.m. For questions, call 422-7733.

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